The United States is the home of the red, white, and blue. But, what are the exact shades of those colors?

As the Fourth of July nears for our US readers, here’s a quick guide for motion graphics artists who might be finalizing any holiday ads or video editors finishing up any political campaign ads.

The Official Colors of the United States of America Flag

Working with the US flag in a CG video project? Making graphics for a political campaign? Then you’ll need to know the proper colors of the red, white, and blue. In fact, the US has two official colors — Old Glory Red (Pantone 193C) and Old Glory Blue (Pantone 282C).

If you need something more Fourth of July, you can browse the Spirit of Summer footage. Either way, these clips will keep you from making the wrong kind of headlines.

Make Fireworks in After Effects

Want to create some fireworks inAfterEffects? Take a look at this classic tutorial from PremiumBeat, in which Evan Abrams guides you through the entire process. For step by step directions, check out the corresponding fireworks blog post.